Time to find out bowl destinations

Seven years later, the Seminoles lost to Miami yet finished ahead of the Hurricanes in the BCS standings. However, Ohio State, who is 11-1, did not qualify for the conference championship. Keep an eye on Ohio State freshman Nick Bosa and Clemson senior Ben Boulware – both make plays all over the field. The committee has not been thrilled with Washington’s strength of schedule, but would it really dump the Huskies (12-1) for another Big Ten team after they pounded Colorado in the Pac-12 title game Friday night?

The Big Ten looked to have a real shot at becoming the first conference to land multiple teams in a single Playoff.

Penn State was fifth, followed by Michigan, Oklahoma and Wisconsin.

Delany, who is not a member of the selection committee, said he has changed that stance in the interest of choosing the four best teams for the playoff. Now they are at the Big Ten Championship game for Wisconsin vs. Penn State.

The circumstances are different in so many ways this time, starting with the fact the Penn State has more ground to make up than those Buckeyes and an extra loss on its resume.

Clemson and Ohio State will be playing for the second time in the past four seasons in the postseason.

So the key is to play a hard nonconference schedule?

SN simulated the Pac-12, Big Ten and ACC Championship Games and based on those winners, the four teams would be selected.

The Huskies’ only loss was to 10th-ranked Southern California and its nonconference schedule featured FCS Portland State, Rutgers and Idaho.

Their final chance ended when Clement was stopped short of a first down on fourth-and-1 from the Penn State 24-yard line with 1:01 to play.

“Every time I turn on the TV or read an article, people said this year the Big Ten Conference was by far the strongest conference in college football“, Franklin said.

In a college football season filled with tons of drama, the last weekend of play certainly lacked the craziness the rest of the season was filled with.

But so too were Penn State and MI. But they (the Nittany Lions) are a good team, we’re a good team. With that being said, we have an idea on what those rankings should look like.

If there is a pattern to be found in the committee’s work over three years it may be this simple: For the most part, the teams are ranked by the number in the loss column.

The point that was supposed to be made about Penn State Football is that winning at a high level is not worth causing undue suffering and pain to innocent people and then trying to cover that up. MI does own a non-conference win over Colorado, while one of Penn State’s losses came to Pitt, which beat Clemson, and…

Maybe next season will be different. The Tiger’s loss to Alabama in last season’s national championship game has not been forgotten and this could even be a better opportunity for Clemson to win the team’s first national championship since 1981. The one crucial difference, though, is enormous.

Certainly any outcome would’ve had its detractors, and so no matter which four-team field the committee chose, there would’ve been tears over which teams were excluded.

What could provide more consistency, more objectivity while removing much of the subjectivity, is bigger playoff.

Mid-American Conference champion Western Michigan and coach P.J. Fleck – whose “row the boat” battle cry has become a signature phrase for his 13-0 team – will play Wisconsin in the Cotton Bowl.

If you’re curious why Ohio State is ultimately ranked wherever they are, College Football Playoff selection committee chair Kirby Hocutt (also the athletic director of Texas Tech) will be on the program around 12:40 p.m.as well as after the New Year’s Six bowl matchups are released.

HEISMAN HOPEFULS: The different styles of these teams is illustrated by their respective candidates to be Heisman Trophy finalists, Browning and Alabama defensive end Jonathan Allen.

Clemson didn’t require much thought. “Something would have to give”.

“Ah man, it’s been insane”, Penn State linebacker Jason Cabinda said of the happy returning to Happy Valley. “I think it’s awesome for the school”.